Taz?”
The officer glanced at one of his partner’s. “Who’s Taz?”
Nayo shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere.” He nodded toward Liv. “And neither is she.”
“Let me be the judge—” Liv sneezed, drawing the attention of the men. Their guard was down. It was now or never.
Nayo grabbed her arm and, using the dumpster for cover, dragged her back down the street from which they came. Shouting and gunfire followed them, but it was Liv’s outraged cry that rattled his nerves the most. How was he ever going to make her understand? To Americans, all Arabs were the enemies. Facts didn’t matter. Truth didn’t matter. If he stepped foot inside that precinct, he was as good as dead.
Chapter 3
A s ridiculous as it sounded , Liv felt as if she was in the middle of her favorite television show. In season three of Cops after Dark, a dark, handsome villain had taken the hero’s girlfriend hostage. During the time she was a hostage, she had fallen in love with her captor, who had treated her very well. When the hero finally freed her, she dumped him and worked hard to free her new love.
Liv had always secretly wished that she was that girl. She didn’t have a boyfriend, but the thought of being captured and taken to some remote place, forced to do her captor’s bidding, made her panties damp. She figured it must be because deep down, she wanted a man’s man. An alpha. A man who would take without asking, but give her everything she needed in return. This was why she had all but given up on dating. She had grown tired of dating men who expected her to take charge; they were weak and couldn’t give her what she wanted. She wondered if Nayo would take her to some remote place and have his way with her. If he did, how would she react?
After a quick glance down at his tight, firm ass, she knew exactly how she’d react. Just imagining those hips between her thighs was causing a flutter in her lower abdomen.
“Why are you in such a rush? We lost them.”
“It’s only a matter of time before they find us again. In here.”
“Where are you taking me?” She looked up at the sign. It read “Annie’s Thrift Shop.”
“We need some new clothes. Now act natural.” They made their way through the brightly colored racks of clothes. “What size are you?” he whispered.
“That’s a rather rude question, don’t you think?”
He frowned and grabbed something off the rack. “Here, try this on.”
“There’s no changing rooms.”
“In the back.” He grabbed something for himself. “Come with me.”
The changing room was a single unisex room with a locked door. Along one wall was a mirror and underneath the mirror was a counter. Hooks lined the second wall for clothes and a ratty brown couch sat up next to the wall of the third.
He guided her inside and shut the door behind them. “Take off your clothes.”
“What?” She crossed her arms over her chest as she thought about her favorite episode.
“You heard me, take off your clothes.” He removed the scarf around his arm, then took off his suit jacket and shirt.
“How is your wound?” she asked, trying to take her mind off the fact that this gorgeous man was stripping in front of her.
“The bleeding is stopped, see?” He showed her his large bicep and ran his finger over the line there. “It’s fine, just like I told you.”
“Good.” She swallowed hard as she took in the ripple of muscle over his arm and shoulder. The man must have worked out, and it was a damn shame that all of that sexiness had been covered up by a suit.
“Now strip. We don’t have much time.” He continued to take off his clothes, tossing his shoes, socks, and dress pants onto the floor.
“Well?” he asked.
The man stood there in front of her, this proud Arabian Sheikh, wearing nothing but his designer boxers. They were the fitted kind, coming just below the butt and leaving nothing to the imagination.
“Are you. . . I mean. . .” She swallowed as